By Lizzy Chirkpi
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a large-scale clandestine methamphetamine laboratory hidden in a forest in Oyo State, arresting a Mexican drug specialist and four Nigerians allegedly involved in the operation.
The facility, located in Tapa Village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State, was being used for the industrial-scale production of methamphetamine and contained chemicals and equipment valued at billions of naira, according to the agency.
The operation comes less than a month after NDLEA uncovered another methamphetamine laboratory in a forest in neighbouring Ogun State, heightening concerns over attempts by drug trafficking networks to establish the South-West as a hub for synthetic drug production.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), represented by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, described the discovery as a major breakthrough in the fight against organised drug trafficking.
According to him, “On Wednesday, 17th June 2026, tactical operatives of the NDLEA stormed a highly fortified, industrial-scale clandestine methamphetamine laboratory operating deep within the forest of Tapa Village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area, Oyo State.
“This was not a rudimentary setup; it was a sophisticated, highly organized transnational syndicate. During the raid, our operatives successfully arrested five key members of the cartel on-site. They include a 56-year-old Mexican Methamphetamine expert, Jose Villa Ochoa, brought in specifically to provide the technical expertise for large-scale synthesis and four Nigerian collaborators providing logistical support, cover, and local operations. They are: Maxwell Uche Nevoh, 30; Olatunji Yusuf, 37; Bankole Akeem Owolabi, 45; and Ganiu Monsiu, 43.”
Marwa said the arrest of the Mexican national underscores the international dimension of illicit drug trafficking and demonstrates the agency’s capacity to disrupt transnational criminal operations.
“The arrest of a foreign cartel specialist on Nigerian soil underscores the transnational nature of this threat, but more importantly, it underscores our Agency’s world-class intelligence capability to track, intercept, and neutralize them,” he said.
Following the operation, NDLEA forensic specialists conducted an extensive examination of the facility and recovered large quantities of precursor chemicals used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.
The recovered substances included Phenyl-2-propanone (P2P), phenylacetic acid, sulphuric acid, tartaric acid, caustic soda, thioglycolic acid and ethyl phenylacetate.
Operatives also seized industrial-grade equipment, including a reactor pot, distillation units, condensers, mixers and dehydrator machines used in the processing and crystallisation of methamphetamine.
Marwa disclosed that laboratory analysis confirmed the presence of methamphetamine in substances recovered from the site.
“What they uncovered is a massive, factory-level production line of poison,” he said.
“The laboratory was fully stocked with a frightening array of precursor chemicals, industrial catalysts, and heavy-duty processing equipment.”
According to him, all recovered materials have been secured, catalogued and preserved as evidence for prosecution.
“This is yet another multibillion-naira worth of illicit substances and production equipment ready to push millions of doses of synthetic drugs into our streets, communities and the international community but for the vigilance of our dedicated officers,” he stated.
The NDLEA boss warned that the latest discovery, coming shortly after the Ogun State operation, points to a growing effort by drug syndicates to establish a synthetic drug manufacturing base in the South-West region.
“Let the message go out clearly to all drug cartels, domestic and international that Nigeria is not, and will never be, a safe haven for your illicit trade. We will find you in the cities, we will track you into the forests, and we will dismantle your infrastructure of death. They thought hiding in dense forests would shield them from the long arm of the law. They were wrong,” he warned.
Marwa commended the officers who carried out the operation and acknowledged the role of public cooperation in the agency’s successes.
“We want to commend the gallantry, dedication, and clinical professionalism of our officers of the Oyo State Command involved in this operation. To the Nigerian public, we say thank you for your continued trust and credible information. Together, we are securing the future of our nation,” he added.
The latest seizure represents one of the most significant methamphetamine laboratory busts recorded by the agency in recent years and highlights the increasing sophistication of drug trafficking networks operating within the country.